2026 CPL Season Preview: Halifax Wanderers

The Halifax Wanderers' 2026 Canadian Premier League season kicks off Saturday, April 4 at Vancouver FC. Their home opener is Saturday, April 18 vs. Pacific FC. Secure your tickets today.

The Halifax Wanderers are going through a sea-change as they enter the 2026 Canadian Premier League season. 

An exciting new coach and some big-name additions have renewed hope around the Wanderers Grounds following a heartbreaking end to the 2025 campaign. 

The Wanderers look to begin the Vanni Sartini with a statement: that they are ready to take the next step from competitors to contenders. 

Story of 2025

2025 CPL regular season record (W-D-L): 11-6-11 (39 pts, 4th place)
Goals scored: 41
Goals against: 34
Goal difference: 7
Top scorer: Tiago Coimbra (12) 
Canadian Championship: Lost in round one to Forge FC

For the second time in the past three seasons, the Halifax Wanderers made the playoffs in 2025. But a promising season once again ended in disappointment as they blew a pair of leads to fall in penalties against Inter Toronto at home in the 4th vs. 5th knockout match. 

After starting the season with incredible promise -- in second place by Canada Day -- just four wins in their final 15 matches of the season took the wind out of their sails. They also went out in the opening round of the Canadian Championship, a competition they will want to go much deeper in this season particularly with three-time Canadian champion Vanni Sartini at the helm.

Arrivals and Departures

It is a fairly clean slate in Halifax with 14 players departing the club over the past few months. The most notable are goalkeeper Rayane Yesli, midfielder Sean Rea and 2025 CPL Best Canadian U-21 Player of the Year winner -- and the team's leading goalscorer -- Tiago Coimbra. 

CPL legend Marco Carducci is the most notable name in an intriguing group of incoming players. Canadian international Marcus Godinho will provide quality and experience at full-back, while Sven Zitman and Lucas Olguin should help reinforce an already strong midfield. The most intriguing pick-up is 21-year-old striker Victor Akinwale, who was a standout player in the Crystal Palace youth system. He will be counted on, in part, to replace Coimbra's goals. 

3 Players to Watch

GK - Marco Carducci

The veteran goalkeeper enters his eighth CPL season, but first without his hometown Cavalry FC. The two-time Golden Glove winner was again nominated this past season, and brings both key leadership, quality and championship pedigree to the East Coast. 

DF - Thomas Meilleur-Giguère

The 28-year-old central defender instantly transformed the way Halifax protected their goal last year in his first season on the East Coast. He finished top of the CPL in clearances and second in aerial duels won. He also chipped in with four goals. 

MF - Lorenzo Callegari

Entering his fourth campaign with the Wanderers, Callegari is one of the Canadian Premier League's best midfielders. He is what makes the Wanderers tick both with and without the ball, leading the CPL in tackles won, and interceptions in 2026, as well as successful passes in the final third.

2026 Outlook

There are plenty of reasons for optimism on the East Coast. The Wanderers recruited one of the top coaches in Canada, adding one of the CPL's best goalkeepers and already boast one of the league's top central defenders and midfielders. 

The big question mark is up top. Replacing the goals, and the offensive presence of Tiago Coimbra is one thing. But the Wanderers need more secondary scoring in 2026. Their second leading goalscorer last year was central defender Thomas Meilleur-Giguère with four. In fact, their entire cast of returning players combined for the same number of goals, 12, as Coimbra last season. 

Adopting and executing Vanni Sartini's style and tactical philosophy is another key to their success this season. 

U-21 Spotlight

A bit of a question mark heading into this season is what sort of roles their young talent will play in 2026. Tavio Cicarelli is the only returning U-21 player, but the 19-year-old Canadian youth international played just nine minutes last season. Both Lucas Olguin and Francesco Troisi have plenty of MLS Next Pro experience, and the latter was a standout for Toronto FC II over the past three seasons. but he will have to fight for minutes in a deep Halifax midfield. 

Projected XI

(3-4-3): Carducci; Linder, Meilleur-Giguère, Sow; Godinho, Callegari, Johnston, Telfer; Baï, Akinwale, Arilla 

Roster Notes

2026 Kit

The Halifax Wanderers' 2026 kits by hummel are available for purchase here.